I ran the One City Half-Marathon on Sunday, March 2, finishing in a time of 1:38:51 which was good enough for the age group win.
This was the third time I've run the One City Half, and I continue to be impressed by how well managed this race is. I left my hotel in Hampton at 4:45 am, and by 5:05 I had parked my car at the finish line in one of the many parking lots that was open and boarded a school bus to the start. The bus arrived at the start area at 5:45 am, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Once there, I was able to hang out inside a school gym (the start line is on the campus of a local high school) until it was time to start warming up.
"Warming up" requires quotes. It was a frigid, bone-chilling morning - the air temperature was 28 degrees but the strong winds resulted in a "feels like" of 19 degrees. Mindful of my experience at the Jingle All the Way 15K in December, I deliberately dressed warmly, with thick running rights and a jacket over a tank top, plus a buff to keep my neck warm. A small part of me had worried that I might be overdressed, but jogging my warm-up convinced me that I had made the right call. If anything, I was still cold.
***
With about 5 minutes before the start, I slurped a gel and then ducked under a rope into the start corral, seeding myself behind the 1:45 pace group - I intended to run faster than that, but I also knew that I would be starting conservatively.
I had wrapped myself in a space blanket from a previous race, which I clung to until 2 minutes before the start. That final 2 minutes seemed like 10, and then the race started.
I was pleasantly surprised to note that, though my normal first two miles stiffness was still there, it was muted. I sat behind the 1:45 group until I loosened up and was able to start opening my stride, and then I started working my way forward. One issue I hadn't foreseen was that the 1:45 group was large enough to completely block the course. However, several people very nicely moved over in response to my request, and I was able to start building up pace.
The first two miles were in a head to cross wind, but most of the rest of the course would be with the wind at our backs. Sometimes I noticed the tailwind and sometimes I didn't - I think that's pretty consistent with tailwinds - we never feel just how much they are helping us.
I worked my way into a hard rhythm that felt like something I could hold to the finish. It did feel a bit more conservative than tempo effort normally feels - having not raced in a while, I think I was tentative in judging my own fitness and didn't trust my mental ability to push hard into discomfort for an extended period of time. I fortunately did have a steady stream of people to reel in, so I focused on that while ticking off miles.
The course flowed as it always did - a few stride hiccups on my part when the course routed through Christopher Newport University (there are speed bumps there and some uneven decorative pavement that I have a hard time with). There were also a few segments where we ran into the wind, which just made me appreciate the tailwind segments even more.
I had told myself that at mile 10 I'd try to pick it up, and right on cue at that mile marker I spotted a figure with long hair in the distance. I wasn't sure it was female, but I decided to try to reel the figure in to find out. Over the next two miles I pushed some more, getting pretty uncomfortable.
By mile 12, she was almost in reach. I decided then and there that she was likely in my age group and found another gear. With about 300m to go I passed her and tried to keep accelerating, however the final 90 degree turn and a timing mat broke up my stride and she caught me right before the finish. I was a bit disappointed to be caught, but mostly happy that I had been able to kick and compete.
(and it turned out that she was in the 35-39 age group, so not an age group threat).
***
Splits were:
Mile 1: 8:18
Mile 2: 7:45
Mile 3: 7:34
Miles 4-5: 15:04
Mile 6: 7:35
Mile 7: 7:34
Mile 8: 7:36
Mile 9: 7:28
Mile 10: 7:32
Mile 11: 7:16
Mile 12: 7:15
Mile 13: 7:05
last bit: 48 seconds.
So this was pretty well paced - a slow start, then hitting a steady rhythm before picking it up in the last 3 miles. Of course, I wish those steady rhythm miles were faster, but that was partially the cold, partially a lack of confidence, and partially a lack of fitness. As a rustbuster for my spring season, I'm happy with it.
Other notes:
- I experimented some with my pre-race morning routine this year. I'm always trying to loosen up really tight muscles that limit my range of motion and keep my stride too short. In the past I've relied on pre-run stretching and mobility, but this time I went with foam rolling - focusing especially on my quads, calves, shins, and back, since those are my big limiters. And it seemed to help.
- Also helpful was using a vibrating massage ball on the bus to the start line. I've found that if I use it on the highest setting and hold it against my muscles, it seems to relax some of the most tense muscles. I'll definitely be packing it for future races.
- This year, I drove down by taking US 301 to US 17, bypassing the interstate entirely. On the way back, I took I-64 to Richmond and I-95, but then exited I-95 south of Fredericksburg to get over to 301 to take that back to the DC area. The diversion was required because our kitten Karma stayed over with her former foster mom in southern Maryland while I was racing - I dropped her off on the way down and picked her up on the way back. But it also saved me a lot of driving stress from the parking lot that is I-95 between DC and Fredericksburg. I very much recommend this route.
- I ended up snagging the age group win, and would have also won women's 45-49. I was honestly a bit surprised that a 1:38 was fast enough to win those divisions, but I think that the cold slowed most people down - everyone I spoke to ran slower than they expected, given the massive tailwind, and attributed it to the cold.
